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Quilting to Crush Cancer ~ Updated 5-28-14

Do you know someone who currently has some type of cancer? Either themselves or a family member? Do you have a friend, acquaintance or know someone who has survived cancer of any kind? A friend of mine died last week from cancer, and, for some reason, this one death has brought the whole cancer fight to the forefront of my life. Suddenly. I have been affected by cancer in my family. I have a 14 yr old great-nephew who is a young survivor. My father had cancer (though he passed on due to other causes). Did you know that this month, March, is National Colon Cancer Awareness month? Have you ever had a colonoscopy? Ladies, do you check your breasts often and regularly? Me? Yes, yes and yes!

I not only talk the talk, now I’m going to walk the walk! I will be walking to save lives on Friday & Saturday, June 13-14, 2014, at CW Baker High School (my alma mater) in Baldwinsville, New York. Why? Because I CAN and want to for those who cannot. Relay participants, including me, all participate because we’ve been affected by cancer in some way, and because a Relay For Life event gives us the power to fight back. This is my opportunity to honor cancer survivors, remember people we have lost, and help raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

To help the ACS receive even more donations, I’m not simply asking my friends, family etc. to make a donation, but I’ve giving it a little more “interest”. I’m making a queen size quilt to raffle, and here’s your chance to not only make a difference by donating to the American Cancer Society, but you just might win a great quilt in the process!

My Relay for Life Quilt is an approximate queen size quilt. The top and bottom are 100% cotton. The batting is a collaboration of cotton, bamboo and rayon… and is soft yet light. The colors of the top are navy blue print, lilac, and ecru & beige print. The backing is a “mottled” purple.

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This disassembled quilt has been kicking around in my closet for about 4 years, and I finally decided to pull it out and finish it just for this purpose. It is currently “in the works”. I am working on “sandwiching it” this weekend, and begin quilting next week and will hopefully have it bound by the end of this month. I will continue to update and post photos as I go along.

Now to the nitty gritty. Would you like to own this quilt? Maybe you’d like to give it as a gift to someone who likes purple? Maybe you were going to donate to my relay anyway, and this gives you that much more incentive!? Chances at winning this quilt will cost you a $10.00 donation to My Personal Relay for Life. I am participating on a local team called “The Pastor’s Flock“, with friends and my daughter, Kristen. Our team has a $1,000 goal to reach, and my personal goal is $100. You can help us reach and surpass our respective goals by taking a chance on this quilt raffle. Here’s how:

Go to My Personal Relay Page and click on the “Donate Now” link, right there to the right of my photo. Do Not Donate Anonymously.You need to donate using your name so I will know to put your name on a raffle ticket! A $5.00 donation will get you one raffle ticket; a $20 donation will get you four and so on. Once you donate, I will receive an email notification that you have made a donation on My Personal Relay Page, and I’ll know to add your raffle ticket to all the others who have donated as well! ONLINE DONORS HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT JUNE 10, 2014, TO MAKE YOUR DONATION AND GET A RAFFLE TICKET IN YOUR NAME ADDED FOR A CHANCE TO WIN.

When and how will you know that you’ve won? The quilt will accompany our Team, “The Pastor’s Flock“, to the event on June 13, 2014. There, it will be displayed and there will be an opportunity for others to buy raffle tickets for $5.00 each while at the event. Those who purchase raffle tickets at the event will have their names added to the online donors and all will be mixed up before a winner is chosen! One ticket will be drawn, and that person will win the quilt. If I know that person, I will notify him/her in the most expedient way (email/phone/text/Facebook/Wordpress blog)… OR there is a space on the online donation form under Section 2 “Your Gift” where you can fill in a “private note” for me personally. Give me your contact information there. If you’re an out-of-towner donor, you’ll need to pay for your own shipping (I’ll get in touch with you about that).

Hey, did I mention this is an overnight gig? Yep, it starts at 7 pm Friday night (right after a 10 hr day at work!) and goes on all through the night until 7 am the next (Saturday) morning! (see the logo?) Talk about challenging!! There are “events” throughout the night to keep us motivated (and awake!). If you go to THIS LINK, you’ll see how Relay for Life Baldwinsville participates in the fight.

I think that about explains it all, don’t you? Now, who wants to help me AND my team reach our goals? Who wants to win that gorgeous quilt? Who wants to help END CANCER? You know what to do ~

If you would like to ask a question, or need information, you can email me at

tamalecks@yahoo.com

Tamara Eckstadt

UPDATE~

May 28, 2014 ~ Time for an update! Well, the quilt is all done ~ has been for awhile. I should’ve updated this before now! Been getting ready for the Relay for Life part now. I’ll be hauling a bunch of stuff to the school grounds for this overnight campout… tent, sleeping bag(s), chairs, table, some sort of lighting (we will have one electrical outlet) etc. I’m putting together an on-site bake sale at our vendor’s tent that will be set up near the hub of activities – also near the porta-potty (we’ve got our priorities straight!). The event starts at 7 pm and continues on all night until around 4:30-5:00 a.m. There will be bands, entertainment, themed laps around the track, all kinds of other fundraisers in the midst. Sounds like a busy/fun night coming up! I’m tentatively planning to have our Quilt Raffle drawing at midnight (EST) ~ hopefully going to have our Team Captain pull the winning drawing.

Here are a few more photos of the quilt being raffled…

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I hope you’ve enjoyed checking out my Relay for Life Quilt for the quilt raffle. Lotsa work and love right there. I think the best part, so far, is that everyone who has purchased a ticket(s) is someone I really care about ~ whether they’re family, friends, co-workers and/or colleagues. I’d love to see any one of them win this special gift. And I’d love to see more family, friends, co-workers and/or colleagues get in on the raffle! It’s SEW EZ! The links to donate/purchase a raffle ticket are above. Only $5.00 per chance!

I’ll be updating again, once more, but this time from the event. TTFN ~ Tamara Eckstadt